Lost in the Woods
by britt299919
Summary: Stacey was not excited about moving to Gravity Falls, a town full of crazy people and surrounded by a dangerous forest. But when she braves the woods, what she finds may change everything.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This was the first story I ever posted on this sight, and I pretty much abandoned it immediately. There was a variety of reasons for that. First, it has an OC for the main character, which nobody wants. Second, I wrote it in first person which, yet again, nobody wants. And third, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. I'd never written a full story before, and i was nervous.**

 **Now I have a bit more experience, and I've managed to finish quite a few stories, so I decided to come back to this one. I actually really like this story, and think it could be good. So I went back and edited the first three chapters (not much changed, I mostly just changed it to third person) and I'm going to repost them and than keep writing the story. It still has an OC as the main character, but sometimes that's just the way things have to go.**

 **Anyway… hope you like this new and improved version of Lost in the Woods!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Gravity Falls. Thank goodness. It would not be as cool.**

* * *

Stacey stared out the window as her mom chattered endlessly at her. She loved her mom, she really did, but she just wasn't talkative in the mornings. It took awhile for her brain to wake up most days, and making small talk was usually just too much to ask of her foggy brain first thing in the morning. It was even worse today because she was about to start at a new school half-way through the year.

Stacey ran her eyes over the rundown town that would be her home until she graduated in a year and a half. Gravity Falls was not what anyone would call awe inspiring. From what Stacey could tell, it was a tiny town full of strange people and stranger stories. She had done some research on the place when she found out they were moving there, and the results were not exactly confidence inducing. 99% of the websites that came up were related to supernatural sightings.

Stacey had held the vague hope that it may just be a tourist thing, but apparently not. The only place that she had really seen in Gravity Falls was the Greasy Dinner. They had went gone there for dinner their first night in town since they were too tired from unpacking to bother with making dinner.

While waiting for their food, Stacey had listened in on the people around them. Most of their conversations seemed normal enough, but every now and then someone would mention gnomes or ghosts with a completely straight face, and everyone just accepted it. So the whole supernatural hotspot thing was probably not just a ploy to attract tourists. Stacey sighed against the car window. Of course, it was not enough that her mom had decided to uproot her in the middle of her junior year to move out into the middle of nowhere. No, they had to move to the town filled with crazy people!

Stacey blinked as she suddenly realized they had arrived. She only noticed because her mom had finally stopped talking. Luckily, she never really expected a response from Stacey in the mornings, so she wasn't offended that Stacey had no clue what she had been saying. She smiled when she realized that Stacey was finally paying attention to her.

"Are you ready?" She asked, doing her best to seem cheerful. "Do you want me to come in with you?"

Stacey smiled gently at her mom. She knew that the last year had been hard for her, and that she felt guilty about moving them out here with very little notice. While Stacey wouldn't pretend to like it, she understand why they were here, and she had no desire to make things harder for her mom.

"I'm fine Mom," She told her as she unbuckled her seatbelt **(Disney approved XD)** and slipped out of the car. "I'll see you after school, k?"

She could see her mom relax and her smile became more natural.

"Alright sweetie. See ya then!"

She blew Stacey a kiss as she drove away. Stacey made sure to keep smiling until her mom was out of sight, only then allowing the grin to slip off her face.

Stacey sighed, running a hand through her hair as she took in the Gravity Falls High School. It was kinda creepy, right on the edge of the forest that surrounds the whole town. Stacey rolled her eyes at the thought. _Everything_ was on the edge of the forest in this town. Knowing that she had no choice, Stacey walked into the school, making her way through the crowds and entering the front office.

The receptionist lady looked up at her as she walked in.

"Hi! What can I do for you?" Stacey did her best to keep her face neutral, the urge to roll her eyes again very strong. This lady was way too perky for how early it was.

"Hi, I'm new. I was told to come here to get my schedule…" Stacey trailed off, feeling very tired and uncomfortable in front of the energetic and put together lady.

"Of course! The new student! How silly of me to forget." the lady chirped cheerfully. She rummaged through some papers on her desk before handing Stacey a schedule and a map.

"Here you go. If you need any help finding your classes, just ask a teacher." Stacey thanked the receptionist before escaping into the hallway. She took a deep breath and allowed the angst and apathy of her fellow teenagers to wipe away the perk and cheer that the receptionist lady had blasted at her. Feeling better, Stacey took a look at her schedule. First period was English. With a shrug, she headed off to find her class.

It wasn't that hard for Stacey to find where she was supposed to go. Gravity High was tiny compared to her last school, though it was designed in a really strange way. Still, despite all the dead ends and weird numbering conventions, Stacey managed to slip into her classroom right as the bell rang.

Stacey stood awkwardly near the door, not entirely sure what to do. She didn't have to worry long as the teacher noticed her. Stacey very quickly wished that she had not.

"Ahh! New student! Oh how exciting! And just in time for Romeo and Juliet as well. Oh this is perfect."

Stacey leaned back as the teacher ran up to her, afraid she was about to get hugged. _And I thought receptionist lady was bad_ She thought to herself as the teacher continued to babble at her. Seriously, what is it about her that made middle aged women think that she wanted to talk in the mornings?

Stacey glanced at her classmates to see how they were handling their crazy teacher. To her surprise, none of them seem shocked at the teacher's behavior, and a couple were grinning at Stacey's obvious discomfort. She scowled at the grinners before turning her attention back to her new english teacher.

Luckily, she didn't seem to have missed anything important. It seemed as if her teacher had been telling some kind of story about unicorns or something. Story complete, the teacher focused the full force of her smile back on Stacey.

"Come now!" She said enthusiastically. "You must introduce yourself to everyone!" Stacey hid her grimace and turned to the class.

"Hi. My name is Stacey Ellerod. I'm from Piedmont, California." Before she could continue, she was cut off by a loud gasp.

"No way! I'm originally from Piedmont too! What are the odds?"

Stacey stared blankly at her teacher. She was from Piedmont? And she chose to stay here? Realizing that her teacher was expecting an answer, Stacey just shrugged.

"Well. I am sure that we are going to be very good friends. Why don't you go sit next to Ellie?" The teacher pointed toward an empty desk in the middle of the classroom. Grateful to be out of the limelight, Stacey nodded and made her way over to the empty desk.

"Oh! I almost forgot" the teacher cried out, stopping Stacey in her tracks. She looked at her nervously, wondering what it is now.

To Stacey's surprise, the teacher simply stuck out her hand. Stacey took it hesitantly and the teacher shook it cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you Stacey!" She said with a wide grin on her face. "I'm Mabel Pines."

* * *

Stacey staggered out of the classroom an hour latter, completely exhausted. Ms. Pines was a very enthusiastic teacher. Stacey groaned. She wasn't sure that she could handle that first thing in the morning everyday for the rest of the year.

Hearing a small giggle, Stacey turned around to see Ellie, the girl she sat next to in class, laughing. Stacey raised an eyebrow and gave her _a look._

"Sorry," she giggled. "It was just so funny to see you next to Ms. Pines, looking so freaked out."

"Yeah…" Stacey muttered. "I just love me some enthusiasm in the morning."

"Yep! If you want enthusiasm, Ms. P is your gal." Ellie said with a grin. She claped her hands together and assumed a mock serious look. "So. How are you liking Gravity Falls so far?"

Stacey thought carefully. She didn't want to insult the only person who had talked to her that wasn't an adult.

"It is certainly… interesting." She finally settled on. Immediately she winced. Interesting? That's all she could come up with?

Apparently Ellie was thinking the same thing.

"That bad, huh?" she said with yet another laugh. "It's fine" she added when she saw how embarrassed Stacey looked. "I know what it looks like to outsiders. I mean, I'm from Gravity Falls and even I think the place is weird."

"Weird… like gnomes and ghosts weird?" Stacey asked casually. She kinda wanted to figure out if everyone in this town was crazy, or if it was an isolated thing.

"Hmmm… depends on who you ask." Stacey looked at Ellie is disbelief. She honestly wasn't expecting that answer.

Ellie flashed a grin at Stacey's stunned face.

"Hey, I never said that I was a believer. Still, the amount of stories that you hear, especially in Gravity Falls…well, it's hard not to wonder, you know?"

Stacey nodded. Reading between the lines of what Ellie said, it was pretty obvious that a lot of people in Gravity Falls believed in the supernatural. Ellie may not straight up believe, she was clearly open to the idea.

"Oh, hey." Stacey startled out of her thoughts, looking over at Ellie. For the first time since they had started talking, Ellie looked completely serious.

"The people of Gravity Falls may be divided on the supernatural, but there is one thing that everyone knows. The woods are dangerous." She looked Stacey dead in the eye, making sure that she got the message. "Most people who venture deep into the woods never come back. Don't go in unless you have a very good reason, and never alone."

Stacey stared into Ellie's eyes, seeing how deadly serious she was. She nodded slightly.

"Thanks for the tip."

Ellie immediately started smiling again, as if the last minute hadn't happened.

"Just thought you should know" she told Stacey as they came to a split in the hallway. Ellie walked off in the opposite direction, waving goodbye and promising to talk to Stacey again later. Stacey stared after her for a moment before heading off to her next class.

It wasn't as difficult for Stacey to find her next class, science, and sat down at a desk near a window with plenty of time to spare. Luckily, Mr. Kelver was not nearly as enthusiastic as Ms. Pines, and just told her to sit anywhere. Having a few minutes before class started, Stacey thought about what Ellie had told her. She looked out the window at the forest. It definitely looked dangerous. The trees were old and twisted, and she could tell that if a person ventured in, it would be very easy to get lost.

But somehow, despite her common sense and Ellie's warning, Stacey felt drawn to the woods. The realization shocks her. There was absolutely no reason for Stacey to want to enter the death woods. She had never been very outdoorsy back home. She prefered to sit inside with a nice book, or her computer. Still, now that she'd noticed it, she couldn't ignore the urge to explore the forest that surrounded Gravity Falls.

Stacey shook her head and turned away from the window, determined to focus on Mr. Kelver's lesson. As class started, she was slightly dismayed to realize that today's lesson was about how to calculate the average weight of a racoon. Maybe Mr. Kelver wasn't saner than Ms. Pines. Still, at least it was a distraction from the forest.

Or at least, she had hoped it would be. But through the whole class, and indeed the rest of the day, Stacey could feel the presence of the forest, lurking in the back of her mind. No matter what she did, she could not get it out of her head.

By the time school was over, Stacey was nearly frantic. Despite the very… unique lessons and teachers that had filled her day, the forest still managed to dominate her thoughts. She tried to ignore the trees as she waited for her mom to come get her, yet she was hyper aware of their presence despite her best efforts.

After fifteen minutes, Stacey started to get antsy. Her mom was never late. Pulling out her phone, she realized that her mom had texted her. Apparently, her new boss decided that she had to stay late on her very first day, so she wouldn't be able to come get Stacey. Great. Stacey groaned. She had a driver's license, but no car, so it looked like she would be walking.

Sighing for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that day, Stacey set off.. Everyone else had already cleared out, so Stacey was alone as she started walking along the road. She hadn't gotten far when she stopped.

Stacey thought carefully. If she knew her mom, she would know everything about this town by the end of the week, including the information about how dangerous the forest was. Once she found that out, she would definitely forbid Stacey from ever stepping foot there, and Stacey would obey. It wasn't really in her nature to rebel. Sure, she may be a little surly at times, but she didn't have any problem with following the rules.

Stacey knew that her mom would not want her in the forest. Stacey didn't want _herself_ in the forest. But…

She stared into the darkness of the woods. This could be her only chance to find out what it was about the woods that attracted her so much. Mom wouldn't be home until late. She would never have to know. One quick trip to satisfy her curiosity, and she would never enter the woods again.

A small part of Stacey was screaming at herself to stop, to just go home, but she ignored that part. Before she was even aware of it, Stacey was leaving the road and walking towards the dark forest. She hesitated one last time at the edge of the trees, thinking about what a terrible idea this was.

Then, without a backward glance, she walked into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here is the second edited chapter!**

 **ANYWAY! ONWARDS! (also ps, I don't own anything Gravity Falls related)**

* * *

 _This was a terrible idea._

That was the only thing going through Stacey's head as she wandered aimlessly through the woods. Seriously, what was she expecting? Some kind of treasure or mystery or something? Of course not. There was just trees and bushes.

Stacey kicked at a rock in disgust. There was literally nothing interesting in the woods. She had been walking for nearly half an hour, and there was nothing to justify any kind of fear _or_ allure when it came to the stupid forrest.

Stacey rubbed her head at that last thought, huffing. That wasn't entirely fair. It was a nice enough forrest, she supposed. Despite how it looked from the outside, it was surprisingly open. The trees were huge, much larger than any Stacey had seen before. Plus, she could see why people might think that supernatural creatures lived here. There were plenty of beautiful clearings, and oddly shaped rock formations that just screamed fairies and unicorns. But when push came to shove, there was nothing to really set this forrest apart from any other collection of trees in the world. Yeah, it was pretty, but that was it.

Tired of walking, Stacey collapsed onto a rock, staring moodily at the trees. Who was she kidding. If she were being really honest with herself, she knew the most likely reason she was so drawn to the forest. She was just desperate for something good to come out of this move. She had lost basically everything in the last year, and now she was stuck in this tiny, crazy town. It all just seemed so hopeless, and stupid. Stacey had fully expected to be completely miserable the entire time she lived here.

Then she heard about this magical, dangerous forest, and of course she just had to go in. If she found something amazing in the forest, then maybe it would all be worth it. But no. It was just another average thing in her completely average life.

 _Of course you can't find anything worthwhile_ She thought viciously to herself. _The universe hates you too much._

Stacey struggled to hold in her tears. She wasn't perfect, never claimed to be, but dang it, she do not deserve this. Honestly, why did this have to happen? She did her homework, followed the rules, never caused any kind of trouble, so why did her entire life have to fall apart?

Stacey rubbed at her eyes angrily. She wasn't going to cry. She hadn't cried once in the past year, not when they lost their house, not when her friends abandoned her, not even when…

Stacey choked on a sob. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand. She had done such a good job at holding it together. Stacey knew her mom was just barely hanging on, and she didn't want to add to her pain. But now, when she was all alone, she didn't have to be strong anymore.

"I miss you dad." She whispered.

That was the breaking point. For the first time since she had gotten the news in the hospital waiting room, Stacey allowed herself to cry. As tears ran down her face, she revised her opinion of the woods. They may not be anything special, but they were a great place to cry without anyone interrupting you.

Stacey didn't know how long she sat there crying, but eventually she calmed down. Wiping away her tears, she looked around. She frowned when she realized that something seemed… off. Her annoyance and heartache disappeared, and she was suddenly very uneasy. She looked around carefully, suddenly remembering Ellie's serious look when she spoke about the woods. Stacey couldn't see anything, but a feeling in her gut was telling her that something was wrong.

Suddenly it hit her. The forest was quiet. Most forests are, of course, but this one… It wasn't right. During her trip through the forest, she had gotten used to the sounds of birds and other small animals, but those sounds were gone now. The only thing that she could hear was the wind in the trees. There was no sign at all of any kind of animal life.

Stacey stood up slowly, suddenly afraid of drawing attention to herself. _Calm down_ She told herself. _Just because the forest is kind of quiet here does not mean that anything is wrong._ Yet no matter what she told herself, she couldn't shake the ominous feeling.

Stacey took a deep breath and started walking. She looked straight ahead, trying to block out any distractions, focused on getting safely out of the woods before anything happened. She didn't know what, if anything, would happen, but she did know she didn't want to find out.

She might have made it if it hadn't been for the rock. Stacey was walking very quickly, nearly running, eager to get out of the woods. She didn't notice the rock in her way til she was already falling. Stacey tumbled down a hill, desperately trying to slow herself down. She finally stopped when she crashed into a tree. Unfortunately, this caused her to let out a yell of pain and frustration. Almost immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth, unable to believe what she had done. Her voice rang through the quiet forest, echoing amongst the trees. Stacey sat perfectly still, anxious that she may have drawn unwanted attention.

And attention she got. Stacey could suddenly hear something besides the wind, and whatever it was, it was big. She saw a vague shape through the trees. It was too far away for her to get a good look, but she could see enough to know that she did not want to be anywhere near the thing. Luckily, it didn't seem to notice to have noticed her. Stacey waited, hoping the creature would leave, but it seemed content to shuffle around in a circle, never getting any closer or any further away.

Finally, Stacey decided to take a chance. The longer she stayed here, the more likely it was that the creature would find her. As long as she was quiet, the thing would have no reason to notice her. Hopefully.

Stacey stood up with extreme care, careful not to make a single sound. She kept her eyes on the unidentified creature as she took a single step backwards.

 _Crack!_

Stacey froze. For a second, her main emotion was annoyance. _Of course._ She thought sarcastically. _The only time in that I ever snap a twig that loudly in my entire life, and it is when I am trying to avoid making any kind of noise._ The annoyance was quickly replaced with terror as the creature sprinted toward her, coming to a halt only five feet away.

Stacey stared up at the creature in horror. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. If she had to describe it, she would say it was some kind of troll. It was green, with mushrooms growing out of its shoulders. Huge tusks grew out of its mouth, seeming much too large to actually fit. Stacey almost tried to study its face more carefully, but some instinct told her not to look in its eyes. That voice was hard to hear over the one that was screaming hysterically in her head, but she decided it would probably be best to listen to it.

Time seemed to halt as they stared at each other. A million thoughts raced through Stacey's head. Websites and snatches of conversation flew through her mind's eye as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

 _It's hard not to wonder…_

Ellie's words were the only clear thing that she could hear, and she had to fight the urge to start laughing hysterically. _Right. Wonder. Guess I won't have to worry about that anymore._

Stacey was unceremoniously jerked out of her thoughts when the creature started to growl. _Right, bigger problems_ She thought as she frantically tried to figure out what to do. Maybe it was friendly?

"Uh… Hi?"

The creature roared, so loudly that Stacey felt she may knocked over by the sheer force of it. She slammed her eyes closed and covered her face with her arms, desperately waiting out the assault.

When the sound stopped, Stacey slowly lowered her arms. Well. That didn't work. The rational voice in her head said she should probably stay quiet and avoid making any sudden movements.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Apparently, the hysterical voice in her head had had enough if the shriek that came out of her was anything to go by. She honestly hadn't meant to start screaming, yet there she was. Shrieking her head off.

Stacey bolted, sprinting off in a random direction. She had no clue if she was headed in the right direction, but she didn't really care. All she could feel was the desperate desire to get away getaway _getaway._

Even as she ran, she was aware of the creature chasing after her. Apparently it didn't appreciate her screaming. Stacey moaned with fear as she ran. All she could think was one thing:

 _This was a terrible idea._


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: And here is the final edited chapter! Next time, it will be something brand new! Also, this is the chapter that inspired this entire story, and I honestly really like, and i hope you guys do too!**

 **SO! Here comes the good stuff! Also! I really don't own much of anything, much less the masterpiece that is Gravity Falls, so plz don't sue me thanks!**

* * *

Stacey ran through the woods, not sparing a glance for the creature chasing her. From the sounds alone, she knew there was no way she was outrunning the thing. She looked frantically for a hiding spot. Just as despair started to grip her, she spotted a pile of boulders on the edge of a clearing not far away. She sped up, racing toward the collection of stones, vaulting over them and crouching behind them. She froze, holding her breath and praying that the creature wouldn't find her. After several moments of silence, she peered out from her hiding spot.

The monster had running and was standing still at the edge of the clearing. Stacey didn't understand why it had stopped when it had seemed so desperate to catch her only moments before. As she watched with wide eyes, the monster slowly ambled away, apparently uninterested in finding her. Once it was gone, Stacey slowly made her way out from the pile of rocks, looking around for whatever had caused the monster to calm down and leave.

At first, nothing stood out to her. The forest was strangely still and silent. She had already noticed that these woods were unusual, that they always seemed stiller than they should be, but this was just ridiculous.

The utter silence made Stacey uncomfortable. She could feel wind on her skin, yet none of the trees' leaves seemed to be rustling or making any sound. Maybe the creature had left because of the oppressive feeling in this part of the woods. She certainly did not want to be there.

Giving up, and feeling very nervous, Stacey turned to go home. She hadn't taken more than two steps when something caught her eye. Something had moved in the periphery of her vision. Normally she wouldn't have noticed such a slight movement, but in the unnaturally still woods, it stuck out.

She spun quickly, trying to see whatever had moved. "H-hello?" She stammered out, terrified that whatever it was would be worse than the monster she had already seen. There was no answer, unless you counted the fact that the woods seemed still even more, if that was even possible.

Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for whatever had caught her attention. Her instincts were screaming at her to run, but something kept her rooted to the spot. At first she thought it was fear paralyzing her, but she suddenly realized that wasn't it. She recognized this feeling. Whatever was keeping her in the clearing, it was the same feeling that had compelled her to enter the woods in the first place.

Stacey's breathing picked up, sounding too loud in the silent forest. What was happening to her? She had never felt like this before, so why now?

Suddenly, Stacey spotted movement again. Staring closely at the area, she finally saw what had been causing her fear. She let out a slightly sheepish breath. It was just a kid! She could see him now, though not very clearly. He was partially hidden by the trees. Now that she thought about it, something seemed a little off about him. His form seemed to almost waver. Stacey quickly dismissed the idea, thinking it must just be a trick of the light. Letting out an aggravated huff, she called out to the boy.

"Hey kid! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Why didn't you say anything when I called out?"

The kid just stood there, not saying anything. Stacey figured he was probably worried about talking to some random stranger in the middle of the woods, so she tried to reassure him.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." she said. "My name's Stacey. Are you lost?"

When there was still no response, Stacey got a little worried. She knew firsthand that these woods were not safe. A little kid shouldn't be out here by himself. Maybe the kid wasn't answering because he couldn't.

She tried again. "Hey! Kid! Are you okay?"

" _You can see me?"_

Well. That was not a good sign.

Stacey shuddered as the words flowed over her. The voice, if you could call it that, was inhuman. It was as if the sound of the wind, absent until that moment, had been allowed to return for the sole purpose of giving voice to those words.

Distracted by that haunting voice, Stacey lost track of the kid. Looking around, she finally spotted him on the opposite side of the clearing. She felt her heart freeze. _How did he move so far so quickly?_ Her fear came rushing back with a vengeance. This kid was clearly not normal. She wasn't even sure if he was human.

Stacey swallowed nervously. This kid could clearly move a lot faster than she could. There was no chance of her outrunning him if things turned violent. Her best bet was to talk to him and try to convince him not to attack her.

 _Cause that went so well last time._ She thought sarcastically. Still, with no other options, Stacey figured she'd just have to give it her best.

Shoving her fear down, she looked right at him.

"Course I can see you." She scoffed, false bravado coloring her voice. "You're standing right there." She hesitated for a second. "Can most people not see you?"

" _Hm…"_ the voice drifted over to her again. To her discomfort, she realized that the voice was not actually coming from the boy. It was truly as if it was being carried to her by the ever present breeze. " _I don't think that it is so much that they cannot see me as it is that they just don't bother."_

The boy kept moving as he 'talked.' Stacey never saw him actually move, ironic since movement is what drew her attention to him in the first place, but it seemed that every time she took her eyes off of him, even if it was just to blink, he had moved again. It was very frustrating, not to mention a little scary to not always know exactly where he was. As he finished his explanation, Stacey finally snapped.

"Can you stop that?" She barked out as she lost track of him for the umpteenth time.

" _What?"_

There was real confusion in the voice. This pulled Stacey up short. Was the kid not trying to mess with her? She'd assumed that was why he was moving around so much. But if most people really couldn't see him… maybe he just didn't know how to act around people. It was worth a shot.

"Stop moving around so much. I'm getting a headache from trying to keep track of you."

" _Oh. Sorry."_

Definite embarrassment. As Stacey got used to how unusual the boy's voice was, she was able to pick out his emotions better. And to her great relief, he did not sound aggressive. Considering that, Stacey decided to push her luck and see what she could learn about this mysterious kid.

"It's fine" She reassured him. "Why don't you come over here so I can get a clear look at you?"

The laughter that followed her statement made Stacey regret every decision she had ever made that led to her being stuck in that situation. Bone chilling did not even begin to describe it. The laughter seemed to bleed out of the woods from every direction, completely surrounding her with the sound. It wouldn't surprise Stacey if she ended up with permanent heart damage from this situation considering all the stress she was under. Assuming she survived, that was.

" _If you are able to get a clear look at me, I will be very impressed"_ the voice breezed past her as the laughter died off. "But okay."

Stacey jumped as those last two words sounded out directly behind me, very clear and precise, unlike the wind voice she was used to hearing. She spun around, tripping over a root and falling to the ground. From her position on the ground, she could tell that the boy was right there in front of her. She studied his legs, trying to work up the courage to look at his face. He was wearing blue shorts that were clearly old and worn. He was dirty, covered in scratches and dirt. Slowly, Stacey raised her head, taking in his ratty vest and soiled orange t-shirt. Finally, she looked up at his face.

It was bizarre. Stacey suddenly understood what he meant by not getting a clear look at him. It was not as if he was blurry, or did not have a face. He clearly did. It was just that she seemed to forget what his face looked like, even as she was still looking at it. The only feature that she could get to stick in her head was that he had curly brown hair, which was just as dirty as the rest off him.

They two children stayed like that for a few long seconds, neither of them moving. Then the boy held out a hand to Stacey.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Stacey nodded slowly, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to my feet. That was when she noticed the other thing. He was short. A lot shorter than she was. She looked down at the kid, still trying to make out what on earth he looked like. He seemed uncomfortable with her scrutiny and backed up a few steps, looking away from her.

"So you can talk like a normal person." Stacey cursed myself. Of course that was the first thing out of her mouth. Still, it was surprising to hear a normal voice out of the kid. It was very quiet, for sure, and obviously rusty, as if he had not spoken in a long time, but it was still there.

"I guess?" the boy muttered. "I don't really know what's normal anymore." The wind seemed to intensify for a second, making a sound that sounded like quiet muttering, before dying back down into silence. Stacey wiped her sweaty hands on her pants and tried to ignore the nervous jump her heart had made at the sound.

"Don't worry about it." She told him with a slightly strained smile. "Normal is overrated anyway."

He looked back up at her and she got the impression of a smile. For the life of her, she could not see a smile in her mind's eye, but she knew that he was smiling at her. Her own smile became more natural in response.

"Really?" he asked. When Stacey nodded, some of the tension in him seemed to melt away.

"Thanks" he sighed, and although he had said it, Stacey could hear the word echoing through the trees, floating away on the wind.

"I meant it." Stacey said cheerfully, no longer afraid that the kid was going to suddenly attack her. She wasn't exactly comfortable with the situation, but she was finally calming down. She rocked back and forth on her heels for a second before continuing her quest to find information about him.

"Soooo…." Stacey drew the word out, trying to think of what to ask. "What's your story kid? What are you doing in the woods? And how can you move so fast?"

Any tension that might have left the boy came rushing back. He stood for second, wound tighter than a spring, when suddenly all the tension drained out of him. He looked so tired and sad that Stacey felt her heart twinge.

" _I don't know."_ Stacey cringed as his creepy voice came back. Apparently, whatever was going on in his head had caused him to revert to that. " _I can't remember."_

Stacey frowned. "You can't remember? What do you mean?"

He just shrugged, looking at the ground as if it held all of the answers.

" _I know that I wasn't always here. But the before is so vague. Something happened…"_ he stared off into the trees, trailing off. After a moment, he looked back at the ground. " _But I can't remember."_

Stacey swallowed hard, looking at the kid. Clearly, something bad had happened to him. Something that had made him a little less than human. Still, he seemed nice. He didn't deserve to be stuck in the woods all by himself. Stacey didn't know what she could do, but she felt compelled to help him.

"Why don't you come with me?" She asked asked tentatively. She was pretty sure it wouldn't be that simple, but she had to ask. "I'm sure that someone in town will recognize you. And even if not, we can get you some help."

The kid looked even more sad, if that was even possible.

" _I can't."_

Stacey barely heard the words as they breezed past my ear. She had suspected as much, but she still asked why not.

" _I can't leave the woods."_ The boy confessed, looking almost as uncomfortable as Stacey felt.

Stacey cursed under her breath. Well that made things more complicated.

"What happens when you try to leave?" She needed to know exactly what she was dealing with before she could come up with a plan to help the kid.

The kid curled in on himself at her question, trying to escape it.

"I just can't." he said, frustration evident in his voice and body language. "It's like there is some kind of force field at the edge of the woods that I can't pass. I can only look out."

Stacey took that in, thinking carefully. Suddenly, a terrible thought struck her.

"Hey kid…" She said slowly. "How long have you been in the woods?"

Everything froze at her question. The boy, the trees, even the wind stopped.

" _A long time."_

The words were whispered directly into Stacey's ear, so quiet that there was no chance that anyone else could have heard them.

A long time? What did that mean? The kid couldn't have been in the woods all by himself for that long, right? Afterall, he didn't look much older than twelve or thirteen. Kids that young couldn't just vanish into the woods and survive by themselves. At least, not without anyone noticing.

 _You're forgetting,_ a voice whispered in the back of her mind. _He's not really human anymore. He said himself that people don't see him. What do you know about what he needs to survive?_

Stacey frowned, unsure what to do. She couldn't just leave him here, but if she couldn't bring him with her...

She was trying to come up with a plan of action, when she was distracted. Once again, something had caught her attention, some movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking at the kid, it didn't seem as though he had moved at all, but she was so sure that she had seen something. As she watched, the kid's image seemed to flicker for a moment. At her gasp, he finally moved again. He didn't say anything, but gave her a questioning look.

"You're… flickering." she finally managed to get out in response to his look. He didn't seem surprised, only resigned.

" _I have to go."_ He said quietly, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Stacey looked around wildly, spotting his retreating back at the edge of the clearing.

"Wait!" She yelled. The boy paused, but did not turn around or say anything.

"What's your name?" She called, desperate to know in case this was the last time she ever saw him.

For a long moment, Stacey thought he wasn't going to answer. She was about to give up when a word floated toward her on the wind.

" _Pinetree."_

And then he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Oki doki, let's get into some new territory. In case you didn't notice, I edited the first three chapters so they suck less. Now, let's get on with the story! THERE SHALL BE NO ABANDONED STORIES ON MY PAGE!**

 **Also, I don't own Gravity Falls. You know, all of my other stories are crossovers, so it's nice to be able to just type the one fandom.**

* * *

Stacey stared at her notebook, not really seeing the notes that were written there. She was supposed to be working on homework, but she couldn't concentrate. Her pencil moved aimlessly without any real direction from her, just moving in random directions. Frustrated, she set her pencil down, only to realize that she hadn't just been making random scribbles. In the margin of her notes there was now a drawing of a small pine tree.

Stacey groaned, rubbing her forehead. She finally gave into the temptation to look out her window. The woods were constantly calling to her, but she very rarely gave into the urge to stare into them. She was afraid that if she did, she would find herself entering the woods again.

As Stacey had guessed, her mom had ended up banning her from the forest. It hadn't even taken that long for it to happen. That first night when her mom had gotten home, she had immediately brought up all the stories she had heard about the forest and told Stacey that she was never to enter it.

Stacey had promised to stay away. She hadn't thought it would be a hard promise to keep, considering what had happened the last time she entered the forest. She had been absolutely terrified of the woods. Yet despite her best efforts, the forest still called to her. She would often come out of dazes to find herself staring at the trees. It occupied her thoughts constantly, often sneaking into her dreams.

And if it wasn't the forest, than it was the boy. Pinetree.

Stacey desperately wanted to see Pinetree again. The boy had just seemed so lonely and scared. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how. She didn't know anything about the supernatural. She hadn't even known it existed a week ago!

The wind whispered through her open window. If she listened closely, she could almost make out words. Rather than scaring her, the sound comforted her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She swore the woods had their own unique scent, one that never failed to calm her.

Stacey was distantly aware that her attachment to the woods was strange, unnatural even, but she couldn't find it in herself to be worried. How could she be when the woods were always right there, welcoming her.

 _No!_ Stacey shook her head to clear the daze that had filled her mind. She stood up and closed the window firmly, turning her back on the alluring forest. She was not going back. She wasn't! She promised her mom, and besides, the woods were dangerous! She should just focus on building her new life here and ignore the woods.

Stacey went back to her homework, refusing to acknowledge the trees just outside her window. She spent the rest of her evening normally, eating dinner with her mom and watching an episode of one of Gravity Falls' weird TV shows before heading to bed. As she fell asleep, she pretending she couldn't hear the wind whispering to her.

Her eyes flew open as she awoke. She fumbled for her phone, looking at the time. 2:53 AM. Stacey groaned and fell back onto her pillow. Why was she awake? She didn't have to get up for another three hours. At least she didn't have to get up yet.

Stacey rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but she wasn't able to. Everytime she closed her, strange images flashed through her mind. She couldn't remember what any of them were once she opened her eyes, but they kept her awake regardless.

Frustrated, Stacey rolled out of bed. Without really thinking about it, her stalked over to her window and yanked it open. Immediately the wind surrounded her, filling her room with the scent of the forest. Stacey relaxed, leaning against the window frame and breathing deeply. She felt so much better. Why was she fighting this?

 _Sorry mom,_ she thought fuzzily, enjoying the sound of the whispering wind. The thought startled her to a more aware state. What? Why was she apologizing to her mom? She hadn't done anything to warrant an apology.

It was a pointless question. Stacey may not have done anything yet, but in the end, it was inevitable.

She was going back to the woods.

* * *

Stacey wandered the forest, smiling softly. She wasn't scared, despite the danger she knew lurked here. For some reason, she was certain that she would be safe while she was here.

After an undefined amount of time, Stacey found herself in an area of the forest that seemed familiar. Looking around, she realized that she was in the same clearing where she had met Pinetree. She laughed softly. What were the odds?

Stacey sat down, leaning against the rock formation that she had hid behind the week before. She closed her eyes and basked in the sunlight that filtered into the clearing.

" _You came back."_

Stacey didn't startle at the sudden voice. She opened her eyes and smiled up at Pinetree.

"I did." She agreed. Pinetree seemed to blush, though she couldn't be sure. She patted the ground next to her, and after a moment of hesitation, Pinetree sat down next to her, though he did keep some distance between the two of them.

" _Why did you come back?"_ He asked after a moment of companionable silence. " _Most people don't. Assuming they get out of the woods in the first place."_

"I'm not sure." Stacey admitted. "My mom told me not to, and I've never been one for breaking the rules. But there's something about the woods that just… draws me in I guess. I can't explain it."

" _You shouldn't have come!"_

Pinetree stood up, suddenly agitated. The trees rustled around them, the normally calm voices in the wind becoming more frantic. Stacey frowned, standing up as well.

"Why not? I was looking for you! I thought you might be lonely. Do you want to be alone?"

"Of course not!" Pinetree's voice cracked in the middle of his sentence, clearly not used to being used. "But it's dangerous here! You could be hurt."

Stacey glowered for a moment before deflating. She sighed, looking away. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to regain the calm she had had earlier.

"You're right." She finally admitted. "I shouldn't have come back. I almost died last time. It was just luck that I survived. But… I can't help it. I honestly can't. I can't concentrate, I can't sleep. All I can think about is this stupid forest. I don't get it!"

Pinetree had turned back toward her, listening avidly. Stacey couldn't be sure, but she thought he had a thoughtful expression on his face. He seemed to consider something before he slowly spoke.

" _Can you hear them?"_ He asked softly. Stacey blinked, confused.

"Hear who?"

Pinetree gestured around them.

" _The trees."_

Stacey took a step back, startled. What did he mean by that? Of course she couldn't hear the trees, trees didn't _talk._ She was about to say so when something occurred to her.

"Do you mean how the wind sounds like it's whispering?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, I can't make out any words, but it does sound like people talking."

The murmuring in the wind grew louder, sounding excited. Stacey could almost understand it, but if there really were words, she couldn't clearly hear them.

Pinetree made a gesture with his hand and the whispers quieted back to their normal levels. He looked back at Stacey, seeming almost awed.

"I've never met anyone else who could hear the trees before! Especially not someone who wasn't a resident of the forest!" He sounded excited, almost like a normal kid. It made Stacey happy to see the kid so giddy, but she was still unsure.

"Well, I can't understand them. Not the way you seem to."

"You will," Pinetree said with certainty. "If the trees have welcomed you, than it's only a matter of time before you can hear them clearly. In fact, if the trees have truly accepted you as one of their own, than you will probably be able to-"

Pinetree suddenly stopped, his excitement draining away. Stacey stopped smiling, worried about his sudden change in mood.

"Pinetree? What's wrong?"

" _Why you?"_ He whispered. " _I've never known the trees to accept a normal person before. Usually they want humans out of the forest. What's different about you?"_

Pinetree got more and more anxious, his form losing coherence as his emotional state started to deteriorate. " _What… what if you get trapped here too? What if one day you come and you aren't able to leave? You should go, right now, and don't come back. I don't want you to be trapped!"_

"Hey!" Stacey kneeled in front of the panicking boy. She ignored his flickering and put her hands on his shoulders, grounding him.

"I'll be fine, okay? I'm not going to be trapped here. And I'm not going to leave you alone either. I don't think I could, even if I wanted to."

Pinetree let out a shaky laugh at that.

" _Yeah, probably not. You wouldn't want to make the trees angry by ignoring them. Bad things happen when the trees get angry."_

Stacey swallowed. Right. That didn't sound ominous or anything.

Deciding not to question Pinetree's statement, she patted him on the shoulder. His form was looking a lot more solid, which she figured was a good thing.

"Feeling better?" She asked with a slight grin. Pinetree nodded a bit sheepishly, and Stacey let him go, standing up again.

"So. The trees have 'accepted' me or whatever. What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Pinetree admitted. "Are you from Gravity Falls?"

"No," Stacey shook her head. "I moved here a week ago. I'd never been to Gravity Falls before then."

Pinetree frowned, bringing a finger up to his face. Stacey couldn't quite make out what he was doing, but she was pretty sure he was chewing on his fingernail.

Pinetree's voice began to drift out of the woods, but it was different this time. His voice was coming from many different directions, each one saying different things that all overlapped with each other. Stacey could only make out snippets, phrases like _makes no sense; maybe if I asked Kelp; my leg is itching; cursed item?_

She clapped her hands over her ears, overwhelmed by Pinetree's… thoughts? Was that what was happening?

Her sudden movement startled Pinetree, cutting off the voices. He blinked at her before suddenly blushing, looking very flustered.

" _I'm so sorry! Sometimes I forget you can hear me. It won't happen again, I promise!"_

"It's fine!" Stacey said hurriedly. Considering he was some kind of mystical forest creature, Pinetree sure was an anxious kid. "Honestly, I don't blame you. This must be just as strange for you as it is for me."

Pinetree looked like he was about to agree when his form suddenly flickered violently. He blanched, backing away from Stacey.

" _I have to go."_ He said, heading into the forest. He hesitated at the edge of the forest. He glanced back at Stacey.

" _Look, normally I would tell you to go home and leave the forest alone, but I don't think that's an option for you. Still, the woods are dangerous. You need to know more about them if you're going to survive here."_

Pinetree was about to elaborate more when his body went through an even more violent contortion. He doubled over, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Stacey cried out, running forward to help, but she stopped when Pinetree held out a hand.

" _Just… meet me here tomorrow. Okay?"_

His voice was strained, pained almost. Stacey nodded, and Pinetree seemed to relax a bit. Before she could ask if he was okay, he was gone.

Stacey sighed, looking around the clearing. She supposed she might as well go home now. She started to head out, but she paused, looking up at the trees.

"Pleases take care of him." She begged. She couldn't make out any words in the answering wind, but as it curled around her, she knew that her message had been received. Pinetree would be safe until she was able to return.

* * *

 **AN: Yay! First new chapter in more than a year! Hope you like it.**

 **Bye for now!**


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